Our attention is essentially what we are. It is always thereit's its kind of this fundamental thing. And there is a point, i think, in trying to work with our attention skilfully, to put it on things that matter more often. But you say that when we go too far with that, we start thinking that we should be able to completely control our attention,. which, of course, is impossible. I just love the way you sort of point out, like this idea of trying to colonize our attention is donal.
Oliver Burkeman is a British journalist and writer based in New York. He is well known not only for his amazing books, but he also wrote a popular weekly column on psychology called “This Column will Change Your Life” which was printed weekly between 2006 and 2020.
Oliver joins Eric for a third time on the show, and in this episode, they discuss many things, including his new book, “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals”
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Oliver Burkeman and I Discuss Time Management for Mortals and …
- His book, “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals”
- How we invest more energy and focus on trying to escape certain feelings
- Finitude and understanding that life is finite
- Time and how we relate to it as something we have and use
- The idea that we are time rather than we have time
- Accepting the truth of your finitude allows you to live more in the present
- Confusing meaningful with extraordinary
- Cosmic insignificance therapy suggests that we reexamine the threshold of what makes a meaningful life
- Our tendency to want to define and measure what is meaningful in life
- How the pursuit of using time well can lead us to live in the future rather than being present
- Asking ourselves if something is expanding or contracting to us
- The modern attention economy and being aware if we are choosing where our attention goes
- How the things that matter most to us can provoke unpleasant emotions that lead to seeking distractions
- The problem isn’t how things are, but rather how we think they should be
- Trying too hard to be present in the moment
- Accepting the impossibility of complete control
Oliver Burkeman Links:
Oliver’s Website
Twitter
Oliver’s Posts
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If you enjoyed this conversation with Oliver Burkeman, you might also enjoy these other episodes:
Oliver Burkeman on Modern Time Management (2019)
Oliver Burkeman (2014)
Living Between Worlds with James Hollis
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